Picking-machine.



J. s. RICHARDS. PIGKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUGJQ, 1907.

I 946,273. Patented Jan.11,1910.

\PL h w I a S w W w 3 fflk d3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN S. RICHARDS, OF MONTEEB, MISSOURI.

PICKING-MACHINE.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN S. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Monteer, in the county of Shannon and State of Missouri,have invented new and useful Improvements in Picking-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to a stone picking machine adapted for theautomatic removal of the stones from a. field in preparing the field foragricultural purposes.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a machineof this class so constructed and arranged that the stones may be readilydislodged from the earth in which they are embedded, picked up on aplatform. and forced rearwardly on the same to a traveling carrier, fromwhich latter the stone may be deposited in any suitable receptacle.

The invention will be described in the following specification,reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a longitudinal section of a machine constructed inaccordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.

Referring particularly to the drawings, my improved machine comprises askeleton main frame including side bars 1 connected at their respectiveends by a forward platform 2 and a rear cross bar 3. The main frame issupported at the forward end on forward ground wheels 3', mounted uponan axle L secured in a hanger depending from the main frame, and at therear end by rear ground wheels 5 mounted upon an axle 6, supported inhangers depending from the main frame. The rear ground wheels areloosely mounted on the axle, and are con nected thereto through themedium of clutches 7, so arranged that in the forward movement of thewheels the axle will be revolved, while the rearward movement of thewheels will not affect the axle. A draft bar or tongue 8 connected tothe forward portion of the frame. being provided with the usualdouble-tree bar 9. terminally provided with swingle-trees 10 forconnection of the usual draft animals to the machine. De

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 9, 1907.

Patented Jan. 11, 191.0.

Serial No. 387,893.

i pending from the double-tree 9 is a hanger 11, carrying at the lowerend a transversely disposed shaft '12, and on said shaft are looselymounted a series of diggers 13. The diggers comprise barlike membersprovided at their rear or free terminals with inverted U-shaped sections14: having sharpened points arranged to enter the ground and displacethe stones therefrom. Any number of diggers may be provided, it beingsimply necessary that they be in sufiicient number to thoroughly searchthe ground in advance of the operative portions of the machine.

In rear of the diggers the main frame is provided with a transverselyarranged shaft 15, preferably mounted in bearings supported upon theupper portions of the side bars. directing platform, preferablycomprising a series of parallel spaced bars 16 pointed at their forwardends and connected at their rear ends to a cross bar, which isterminally provided at each end with an upright 1" formed with alongitudinally disposed slot 18. The uprights 17 project upwardly fromand at an angle to the plane of the platform, being guided in theirlongitudinal movement by pins 19 extending from brackets 20 secured onthe main frame and passing through the slots 18 in the uprights, saidpins being headed beyond the uprights. The relatively forward edge ofeach upright is formed with a series of teeth 21, and the shaft 15 isprovided adjacent each end with a gear 22 arranged to engage the teeth21. The shaft 15 is centrally provided with a hand wheel 23, wherebysaid shaft may be conveniently operated to adjust the platform, a seat24: being supported on the main frame in rear of the shaft 15 for theconvenience of the operator. The relatively forward end of the platformis supported through the medium of a link 25 of approximately U-form,centrally and pivotally connected to the boxing for the forward axle,with the ends pivotally connected to the side bars of the platform, saidside bars being preferably extended forwardly and upwardly beyond theplane of the remaining bars to provide for such pivotal connection l andalso to afford side walls 26 for the platform.

Between the shaft 15 and the platform 16 are arranged the stone feedingmembers. comprising a pair of shafts 2T-2S arranged in horizontalalinement and each formed adjacent each end with crank portions 29, thecrank portions of each shaft projecting in opposite directions, wherebythe longitudinally alined crank portions of both shafts will project inthe same direction. Shafts 27 and 28 are mounted in suitable hangerbearings 28 depending from the side bars 1. The feeding members propercomprise bars 30, which are movably supported on the alined crankportions of the respective shafts, and fingers 31 depending from theforward ends of the bars and terminating in arcuate sections 32 designedto overlie the platform and, in the operation of the shafts, movelongitudinally of the platform to force the stones resting thereon inthe relatively rearward direction.

A shaft 33 is rotatively supported at the rear end of the platform, saidshaft being provided adjacent each end with a sprocket wheel 34. Endlesssprocket chains are arranged to travel over the wheels 3 1, the oppositeends of said chains being arranged to travel on the sprocket wheels 36,mounted upon a shaft 37, supported in bearings rising from the side barsof the main frame above the rear axle. The chains 35 are connected bytransversely disposed bars 38, thus providing an endless carrier leadingfrom the rear end of the platform 16. The relatively lower ends of theuprights 17 of the direct-- ing platform are pivotally mounted upon theends of the shaft 33 beyond the sprocket wheels 34, and the bars 16 arethereby maintained in approximate alinement with the upper surface ofthe endless carrier, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The sprocket chains, orcarrier, are driven through a gear wheel 39 fixed on the axle 6 andmeshing with a gear etO fixed on the shaft 37, while the shafts 27 ofthe feeding members are driven through the medium of a sprocket chain4L1 engaging a sprocket wheel 12 on the shaft 37 and a sprocket wheel 13on one of the shafts 27, both of the shafts 27 being provided withadditional sprocket wheels 44 connected by a sprocket chain 45. j

The rear cross bar 3 of the frame is downl wardly and rearwardlyinclined on the upper surface, and to this surface is secured g a box orreceptacle 16, open at the forward l end with its bottom so disposed asto rel eeive the material from the carrier. The i box 46 is preferablyin the form of an ordinary wagon body, having a movable end l gate, sothat the material deposited in the l l l box may be readilydumped asdesired.

Assuming the parts constructed and arranged as described, the operationof my improved stone digging machine is as follows: in the forwardtravel of the machine the diggers 13 operate to displace the stones fromthe ground, the independent mounting of these diggers permitting theirready adjustment to compensate for any irregularities of the surfaceover which they are traveling. The stones dislodged by the diggers arepicked up by the fingers 16 of the platform, it being understood thatsaid platform inclines slightly upwardly and rearwardly with its forwardend normally in contact with the ground. The operator. through use ofthe hand wheel 23, may adjust the platform to compensate for anyirregularities in the surface of the ground and insure the picking up ofall stones dislodged by the diggers. The feeding fingers operate toforce the stones longitudinally of the platform and onto the carrier,through which they are carried rearwardly and deposited in the box 46.

From the construction described it will be obvious that the machine ofthis invention adapted to automatically take up any stones usually foundin a field and transport the same to any desired place of refuse, thusclearing the ground for cultivation in the usual manner. Through the useof the clutches 7 no movement is imparted to the operating parts in therearward movement of the machine, while by the use of the wheel 23 theoperator may readily elevate the plat form from contact with the groundwhen not desired for use.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

digging machine comprising a main frame. ground wheels supporting theframe, a shaft mounted adjacent and above the rear ground wheels, meansfor driving said shaft from the ground wheels, guide pins secured to theframe at the opposite sides thereof, a platform slidably mounted on theguide pins. a shaft mounted at the rear end of the platform. spacedsprocket chains operable on the platform shaft and on the shaft arrangedabove the ground wheels, bars arranged transversely of the frame andconnecting the respective sprocket chains to provide a carrier, spacedshafts supported by the frame above the platform, each of said shaftsbeing provided adjacent one end with a sprocket wheel, a sprocket chainconnecting said sprocket wheels. a. drive chain leading from the shaftabove the rear drive wheels to one of said spaced shafts whereby tooperate both of said spaced shafts from the ground. wheels. each of saidspaced shafts being formed intermediate its ends with relatively opposedcrank portions, the corresponding crank portions of the respectiveshafts extending in the same direction in longitudinal alinenient, asingle bar engaging the alined crank portion of both shafts, frame inadvance of the forward end of the 10 the forward end of said bar beingprovided platform.

with an integral depending portion project- In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature ing toward the platform and having an in presence of twowitnesses.

arcuate terminal formation, a hanging con- JOHN S. RICHARDS nectorbetween the forward end of the platform and the adjacent end of the mainframe, and a series of independently movable digging fingers carried bythe main Vitnesses WM. P. WRIGHT, BEN R. WVEsooT'r.

